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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27275488">Keep Us</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bberyded/pseuds/bberyded'>bberyded</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Humor, High School, Multi, Mystery, Original Character(s), happy new year, uh there's snow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:27:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27275488</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bberyded/pseuds/bberyded</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Teenage melodrama.  Mostly.</p><p>Everything is ending.  It's the last semester of high school, and for a group of friends who've been tied together for so long, that's sad and maybe a little scary.  With one of their own gone in tragic circumstance, they are forced to reevaluate everything.  It wasn't the change they were expecting from the New Year.  They were supposed to be worrying about exams, and universities.  All that seems so small now.  As they begin healing, things come to light.  Old and new.  Some of them cause conflicts, because every story should have conflict.  And as pressures rise, they come to learn that maybe they don't know each other like they thought they did.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>thank you for clicking this story.  i love when people read my stuff.  and it's not very often, so i guess that makes you special.  and pretty.  i think you're pretty cool.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 1</p><p>Last New Year's Eve Rayne Bisette threw a party at her place. Usually it fell to someone else, someone with a larger more lavish dwelling. But it was because her dad was out of town on some kind of Business Trip. Calgary, Vegas, maybe Cancun.</p><p>At least that's what Rayne had said he had said. With her fists bunched in the cuffs of her hoodie and her amber gaze to the gymnasium floor it was all about how she was glad he went without her. She wouldn't have it any other way. She didn't at all suggest how one of the places he might go was hell.</p><p>So the party would be big.</p><p>Titanic even.</p><p>Kids flooding in through the front door, cluttering up the crooked steps and taking up the couches in the basement, all engineered to leave a whole hearted disaster in their wake. Through the tacky dollar store decorations, filmy streamers, in the haze of cigarette smoke. It made the place hot enough to want to crack a window and let the deep winter in.</p><p>10. Tiffany McBride sat at the kitchenette. She had a generous hand of cards in one, and a half done raspberry ice-tea in the other.</p><p>9. Anna King played her across the table. She slammed down her cards. "Read it and fucking ball."r</p><p>8. Ash fell from the cigarette in Ethan Lee's mouth. "Weep, it's weep."</p><p>7. "Well it doesn't really matter, does it? I win. It's all mine."</p><p>6. Sarah March sat on the kitchen counter picking M&amp;M's out of her palm. Blue ones first, red ones last.</p><p>5. Rayne spoke low to her, under the music. Sarah nodded as if she could understand. Dye off the candy bled into her heart line.</p><p>4.</p><p>"Three!" Madison burst up from the basement, a giddy Nic Jordan strung around her waist.</p><p>"Two!" Rayne looked to Sarah, her eyes lit like rockets.</p><p>"One!" Anna proffered her styrofoam cup to the heavens.</p><p>"Happy New Year."</p><p>Nic and Madison were already attached at the mouth.</p><p>Rayne stepped forward. She rested her palms on the holes in Sarah's jeans, rose onto tip-toe and planted a soft kiss on Sarah's lips.</p><p>It made time stop, as far as Sarah was concerned. She cupped the side of Rayne's face and deepened the kiss. Like being pulled under by some kind of siren, with the muffled rock music coming through the walls, and the salt taste of Rayne's mouth. Sarah resurfaced as she pulled away.</p><p>"I want a New Year's Kiss." Anna broke the silence.</p><p>"Maybe next year," Rayne said.</p><p>"Are you flirting with me?"</p><p>"What? No."</p><p>"Relax I'm just kidding. Really it's a nice break. People kiss me all the time."</p><p>"Like that's something to brag about," Madison laughed.</p><p>"You can kiss my ass, alright?" Anna collected the cards.</p><p>"Excuse me?"</p><p>Anna tapped the deck against the table, and returned Madison's glare. "You heard me."</p><p>Logan Knockwood came in from the sliding glass door. "Did I miss something?"</p><p>"Happy New Year!" Tiffany said.</p><p>"New Year. Same shit." Nic said.</p><p>He opened the refrigerator. "Happy New Year."</p><p>And it was, for a little while.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi! so good to see you</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the street in front of Rayne's house, Cameron March waited in his truck. The engine ran, and gasoline rose like breath in the cold. His gloves had the finger tips cut off. In his hands, he held his cellphone; conversation open to Sarah. She hadn't responded. He rested his elbow on the window ledge a moment, before shutting off the engine and getting out into the night. He walked up, towards the front door, putting his hands in his pockets.</p><p>The drum of music came through as he approached the door. There wasn't any snow to leave footprints in, but the air was like ice. The front steps were littered with salt. It crunched under his shoes.</p><p>He didn't ring, or knock. The door was unlocked, so he entered, and peered into the living room, which was dark. He continued on, shoes on, down the tiled hall to the kitchen.</p><p>Sarah looked up. "Oh my god." She covered her mouth. Her fingernails were chewed short.</p><p>"I texted you," Cameron said.</p><p>"I'm so, so sorry. I didn't see it."</p><p>"Yeah, I thought that might be what's going on."</p><p>Rayne leant over the island. "Well since you're here and all, why don't you stay a little while longer?"</p><p>"You just want Sarah to stay longer," Anna said. "So Cam, you should say." She smiled. It made her nose crinkle. Madison, Nic, and Logan were already gone.</p><p>"I have work tomorrow," Cam said.</p><p>"Too bad."</p><p>"I'm glad for the excuse, really."</p><p>Nobody really had anything to say to that.</p><p>"I'll go get my coat." Sarah disappeared down the hall.</p><p>"So," Anna spoke after a moment, "how's life?"</p><p>"Fine."</p><p>"Great."</p><p>Sarah returned donning a black jacket, which defused the tension a little, like letting the air out of a balloon, except that it's a good thing.</p><p>Anna squinted, "Is that my jacket?"</p><p>"No," Sarah said.</p><p>"Shame. I like yours. For some reason it fits better, and it isn't covered in cat hair."</p><p>"I wish I had a cat. Cameron's allergic."</p><p>"You just ruin everything, don't you Cam?" Rayne laughed. "I'm just kidding."</p><p>"I'll be in the truck," Cameron said, he backed, and a slow smile twisted his face. "Goodnight."</p><p>Sarah watched him head towards the door. She looked back to her friends. A drunken wave of appreciation made her feel like she would just melt. "Goodbye." She hugged Anna tight, Ethan, Tiffany. She stopped in front of Rayne.</p><p>Rayne took Sarah into her arms, who smelt like raspberries, and she said into her ear, "I'll text you."</p><p>Sarah blushed.</p><p>She left, following Cameron out of the kitchen. She looked back over her shoulder one last time.</p><p>In the truck Sarah's phone went off. She flipped it over.</p><p>Rayne: See :p</p><p>Sarah: You're funny lol.</p><p>"Why are you smiling at your phone?" Cameron asked.</p><p>"Rayne's funny." Sarah buckled in.</p><p>"I think you're just drunk."</p><p>"Am not."</p><p>"Whatever you say."</p><p>And he drove them out into the night. A light snow began. Fat, drifting, flakes. They melted against the windshield.</p><p>"Can we stop to get food?" Sarah asked. "I'm starving."</p><p>Cameron looked to her.</p><p>She pouted. "Please."</p><p>"Nothing is open."</p><p>"The McDonald's on the highway is."</p><p>"There's food at home."</p><p>"Don't you want actual food?"</p><p>"Ouch," he put a hand over his heart, "Besides, I'm not sure McDonald's is actual food."</p><p>"But don't you want it?" She puppy dog eyed him.</p><p>"Fine." He changed lanes and took them toward the highway. They passed a wooden sign with words carved into it, painted a burnt red. Thank you for visiting / Merci de Visiter Carnelian</p><p>／＼／＼／＼／＼／</p><p>The restaurant was next to a gas station. And nothing else was around, like dark trees, and power lines, jack rabbits. Both buildings glowed like jewels in the night. A few cars occupied the parking lot. Cameron turned in through the drive though and stopped by the speaker box. He rolled down the window to the smell of oil and salt.</p><p>They ordered.</p><p>And they drove back with a feast. Sarah fished a fry out of the large paper bag. She cut it between her teeth. She was quiet.</p><p>"Is something wrong?" Cameron asked.</p><p>She chewed and swallowed. "Do New Years kisses count as real kisses?"</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"I was kissed for the first time tonight."</p><p>"By who?"</p><p>"Rayne."</p><p>Cameron didn't say anything.</p><p>"What?" Sarah said.</p><p>"If you're happy I'm happy."</p><p>"Okay?"</p><p>"Just, be careful. You know how Rayne can be."</p><p>"Yeah I know how Rayne can be." She dished out the meal. Fries and chicken nuggets.</p><p>The night blurred by in silence, for a little while. Sarah checked her phone. No new messages.</p><p>Cameron brushed his hand on his jeans. "You can have the rest of my fries." He passed them over.</p><p>She grinned. "You're my favourite cousin."</p><p>"I know."</p><p>A voice babbled on the radio. History of some rock band. Cameron wasn't listening, and Sarah was asleep, her head knocked forward, slouched against the passenger side window.</p><p>Welcome to/Bienvenue à Carnelian</p><p>He shut off the truck in the garage, and the quiet settled over them. He poked at Sarah's arm. "We're home, wake up."</p><p>She didn't budge.</p><p>So he sighed, and got out to walk around to the passenger side. He opened the door.</p><p>"C'mon," Cameron said.</p><p>She mumbled. "What's going on?"</p><p>"We're home."</p><p>"Carry me," She outstretched her arms.</p><p>"No."</p><p>"I can't walk. I ate too much."</p><p>So he did He draped her over his shoulder.</p><p>"Hey! Not like that. I'm gonna puke."</p><p>He carried her up the short flight of wooden stairs to the house.</p><p>"Put me down! Put me down." She laughed.</p><p>He set her down, "You should be more specific next time."</p><p>Sarah rolled her eyes, and pulled the door open.</p><p>Later, when she was in bed she held her cell phone arm's length above her face. The blue light made her like a ghost.</p><p>She texted Anna: Are you still there?</p><p>Anna: No</p><p>Sarah: Did Rayne say anything?</p><p>Anna: No, but I know you've liked her forever. So I'm happy for you. You guys are adorable.</p><p>Sarah: You knew?</p><p>Anna: I have eyes!</p><p>Sarah watched the screen a few more moments. Her heart fluttered. She lowered her hands to her chest. The phone pressed closer, and she fell asleep like that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>love.  thanks for reading</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. new moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>a year later</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 3</p><p>One year later.</p><p>Sarah sat on her front steps, her tired gaze trained on the end of the road.  Light snow fell against her cheeks, and melted. She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, cut to her collarbone.  She had it parted on the opposite side than usual, to about half obscure the fabric bandage stuck to her forehead.  Music bled from under the door.  Maybe Johnny Cash.  Sarah couldn’t tell, but that was the sound.<br/>The phone in her hand buzzed.  She turned it over.  <br/>Madison: Tell Cam he’s welcome to stay a while…<br/>Sarah hesitated, but responded:  Sure thing<br/>And she returned her gaze to the blank horizon.<br/>It was the rattling first, of the engine, before Cameron’s truck rounded the corner.  Snowflakes blazed in its headlights, and it whined to its stop at the end of the walk.<br/>Sarah stepped through the snow, and pulled open the passenger door.<br/>“Sorry I’m late,”  Cameron said.  Brown hair stuck out from under his toque.  <br/>Sarah got in, stepping through and over mounded snow.  “It’s okay.”  She smiled, and settled in.<br/>He pulled away from the curb.  And drove down the street, lined by brick and plaster bungalows.  Windows glowed yellow, and somewhere a dog barked.<br/>“Madison said you could stay a while if you want,”  Sarah said.<br/>His lips curled into a half smile.  “No offence to you and your friends, but I think I’m okay.”<br/>“I’m just passing on a message.”  She picked at her fingernails.<br/>“I’ll stay, at least for a little while.  Sound good?”<br/>“Sounds good.”<br/>Music filled the silence.<br/>Cameron asked, “Did you eat?”<br/>“Yeah,”  Sarah said.</p><p>Thank you for visiting / Merci de Visiter Carnelian</p><p>Soon enough the dark peaks of the Hudson’s Lake House emerged from the woods.<br/>“Oh god,”  Sarah said.<br/>“What?”  Cameron asked.<br/>“We’re almost there.” She rubbed under her eyes.  “I just don’t want to deal with it.”<br/>“We can turn around.  Pretend we never left.  Something came up.  Car trouble.  You know the drill.”<br/>Sarah shook her head.  “It’ll be worse if I don’t go. It just feels weird.  But, even if I don’t go, it’s still going to happen, so I guess it’s better I go.  I should be there.”<br/>“Well you have about five minutes to change your mind.”<br/>Lake Rosewater flickered through a scatter of pine to Sarah’s right.  Blank dark ice spanned it’s surface.  It looked solid enough. <br/>The road to the Lake House dissolved into gravel halfway down.  Cameron parked behind Logan’s rusted car, down on the shoulder of the street.  The driveway had to remain clear, on the side which wasn’t taken up by trailers and trucks.  “In case of emergency,”  Madison always said.  “Park on the right side of the driveway and I’ll park you in Rosewater.”  She said it no matter the season.<br/>“Are you ready?”  Cameron asked.<br/>“No,”  Sarah sighed.  She unbuckled.<br/>So he shut off the engine.  “I’ll hang out for a little while, if you need a ride.  I haven’t seen them in forever anyway.”<br/>“Thanks,”  She turned and smiled at him.<br/>“Wait.”  He turned on the overhead light.  “You’re bleeding.”<br/>She flipped the visor down and examined her bandage in the mirror.  It bent her reflection in the middle.  Blood seeped through the fabric.<br/>“Maybe you should get checked out.”<br/>Sarah rolled her eyes. “I’m fine.  It didn’t even hurt.”<br/>“It’s still bleeding.  I think I should take you to the hospital.”<br/>“I knocked it when I was doing my hair.  It’s fine.” She stopped.  “I’ll get Ethan to take a look at it.”<br/>“He’s not a doctor.”<br/>“He will be.  If I get a headache, or start seeing stars, we can leave.  It’ll be the perfect excuse to get out of clean-up or whatever.”<br/>They warred in silence.<br/>“I’ll go tomorrow morning.”  Sarah bent to the bag between her feet, and unzipped the front pouch.  She stopped when the phone in her pocket buzzed against her stomach.<br/>Madison:  Where are you guys?<br/>Sarah ignored it, and fished out the bandage from the pocket.  <br/>She cringed as she peeled the soiled one form her skin. She folded it and tucked it into the car door.  The skin underneath was white and puffy.  The blood oozed, and the red was startling.  She glanced to Cameron, but he wasn’t watching.  She covered it with the bandage and rearranged her hair.  <br/>“It’s been a year.”  She said, her voice low.<br/>“I know.”  Cameron put his hand on her shoulder.<br/>“It still feels like a bad dream.  Like it’s not real.”<br/>“I’m sorry.  Rayne would’ve loved this.”<br/>“Why does it feel like the end, like it’s over in some way?”  Sarah said.  And there was a pause before she pulled the handle on the door. “Let’s go.”  Cold air rushed in, and she hopped out of the truck.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you for reading love you a lot</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the party starts</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The dark was deep, but the clouds had cleared.  All the stars spangled the sky.  Cameron looked back to Sarah, as she hopped out from behind the truck.<br/>She kicked snow off her boot.  “You parked so close to the snow.”<br/>“Sorry,”  Cameron laughed.  <br/>They walked and the gravel crunched under their feet.<br/>Nic was parked at the end of the driveway.  He stood at the back of his car.  The trunk was open. He looked over his shoulder, as he heard them approach, and grinned when he saw them.  It was brilliant against his dark skin.   “Cam! Haven’t seen you in ages.  Didn’t expect to see you either…”  His smile faded, then reignited.  “How’ve you been?” <br/>“Good.”  Cameron stuck his hands in his pockets.  “Do you want a hand?”  He looked to the bed.  There were four bags of ice strewn and glistening.  <br/>“Yeah.  Sure.  Madison sent me last minute.  I asked how much she wanted, like how many bags.  She told me to use my judgement.  I did.  Watch her get mad.”  He picked one up, slung it up onto his shoulder.  He turned back to Sarah.  <br/>She smiled, shrugged. <br/>“What happened?”  He pointed to his own forehead.  <br/>“Is it that noticeable?”  Her hands moved to cover her’s.<br/>“Yeah.  Sorry.”  <br/>Cameron lifted a bag of ice out of the trunk.<br/>“What happened?” Nic asked.<br/>“I put Cam’s truck into a ditch.”<br/>“Ouch.”<br/>“Everything’s fine.  We’re both fine; the car and I.”<br/>“Here.”  Nic offered her a bag of ice.<br/>“What?” Put her hands out.  The bag was wet.<br/>“For your head.”<br/>Sarah dropped her hands away.  “You’re so dumb.”  She laughed.  “But now I’m definitely not going to help.”  <br/>“Good.  We don’t need it.”  He called after her.<br/>At the end of the driveway a garage with a dark wood door.  A mounted set of antlers cast its shadow across it.  Adjacent was the house.  Sarah turned to face it.  Two stories, of stonework.  Vines crept up the outside in the summer.  <br/>Sarah continued on up past the vacant stone pots, and up to the door, painted bean green.<br/>A porch light clicked on.  It buzzed and glowed warm amber.  Sarah sighed as she pressed the wrought iron handle down and pushed the door open to frame a vaulted foyer.  <br/>Sarah stepped in and shut the winter behind her.  She didn’t have to look to know; the cedar staircase, the taxidermy trophies, slate into hardwood floors, the expensive abstracts.  It smelt like an old book mixed with lavender essential oil spray.<br/>Tiffany was halfway up the wooden staircase which ascended up one of the white walls.  She was threading and winding a string of LEDs around the rail.  Logan stood a step down from her, spinning a roll of packing tape around his fingers.<br/>“Sarah,”  Tiffany said sweetly, “You’re here.”<br/>“March,”  Logan greeted, “You haven’t seen Nic, have you?  Madison’s pining.  Keeps pacing in and out.  It’s slowly driving me insane.”<br/>He shut up as Madison rushed by towards the door, hardly registering as a flash of yellow hair.  Sarah stepped out of her path.  Logan made a face.  <br/>Madison stopped herself on the doorframe.  She pulled the door open.  “Nic.  Finally.”  She caught him on the front steps and leapt full weight into his arms.  Pressed her face into his hoodie, which smelt like cigarettes, gasoline, and something metallic.  Cameron set his hand on Nic’s upper back, to prevent them tumbling back.<br/>Madison pulled back.  “Hi, Cameron.”  She plucked the burgundy toque off his head.  His hair was a mess. Static had it. He tried to brush it back.<br/>Madison spun inside, pulling the hat onto her head, and examined herself.  “Hm,”  she frowned, and gave it back to Cam.   “Looks better on you.” <br/>Sarah had settled on the bottom steps, by a box.  She pulled out another string of lights and worked on untangling them.  Logan looked on, with a bemused smirk on his face.  Tiffany tapped his shoulder.  It might of shocked him.  He tore off a piece of tape and gave it to her.  <br/>The door closed, and shoes were kicked off.<br/>“You’re staying?”  Madison asked.<br/>“Just for a minute,” Cam said.<br/>“That’s a lot of ice.”<br/>“Well you can save it for later, or just let it turn into water.  That’s probably useful.”<br/>Madison stepped forward.  “You’re such an idiot.”  She giggled and took his hoodie strings, pulling him in.  His hood crinkled and she kissed him.  “The kitchen freezer before you flood the place.”   Madison dropped Nic’s strings.<br/>Tiffany fussed with her lights, mouth bent in a small frown.  They came on.<br/>“What’s with the red and blue?”<br/>“Ask Anna,”  Madison said.<br/>“It’s kind of Americana.”  Sarah looked up.  “I mean it’s pretty, but…<br/>“Red and blue make purple, duh.”  Anna entered.  She draped herself over the rail.  “They didn’t have purple.”<br/>“Remember Sarah?”  Tiffany chimed.  “Rayne’s favourite colour.”<br/>“I mean, we don’t know that. Maybe it’s changed.”<br/>“Well even if it has we’ve got two bases covered.  And I’d say there’s a pretty good shot at blue, don’t you think?”<br/>Sarah blushed.<br/>Nic turned, “C’mon, the kitchen freezer, before we flood the place.”  He walked down the left hall toward the kitchen.<br/>Cameron followed after him.<br/>Nic pulled open the freezer and tossed the bag of ice in.  It clattered against the plastic.  “I fucking hate when she does that.”  He reached behind and tugged his hood back into shape.  <br/>Cameron put his ice in the fridge.  “I’m not the one to be telling.”<br/>“If I tell enough people, it’ll get around to her eventually.  I feel like I’m trapped here.”<br/>“Tell me about it,”  Cameron said.<br/>Nic was about to say something, when Madison joined them in the kitchen.<br/>“Is it stupid?”  Madison asked.<br/>“What?” <br/>“I just—I feel like no one wants to be here.”<br/>“Well we’re here, aren’t we?”  Nic brushed at the watermark on his shoulder.  “So what difference does it make?”  He laughed.<br/>She didn’t.  “I just feel stupid.  I can’t tell if it was the right thing to do, or not.  I just had to do something.”<br/>“Rayne loves parties.  I get it.”<br/>“Thanks.  I guess I’m just nervous.”  Madison paced back to the entrance.  She fluffed her hair in the reflection of the microwave.  “I’m just nervous.”<br/>“Why don’t you sit a minute?”  Nic suggested.  He sat at the counter on a pleather barstool.  <br/>“I wrote a speech,”  she turned to Cameron.<br/>“No kidding.  I’ve heard it about a million times,”  Nic laughed.<br/>Madison chewed the inside of her cheek, and pulled a folded sheet of stationary out from her waistband.  “Would you read it?”<br/>Cameron extended his hand to take it.  He looked from her eyes as he unfolded the sheets to her words.  They scanned over them.  Her handwriting was neat, and careful. Loopy and slanted to the left.  “it’s perfect,” he looked to her.  He handed the sheet back.  <br/>She clutched it to her chest.  “Really?  I just don’t want to mess it up.”<br/>Nic got up, then.  He kissed her cheek.  His voice low, “Well you could say anything; you look fantastic.”<br/>She giggled.  “Thanks.  I have to go check in with Tiffany.”  She wriggled out of his hands, and got out of the kitchen.<br/>Nic sat back down at the island.  He reached to the cerulean bowl at the centre and plucked a plum.<br/>Cameron sat across from him.  <br/>“Y’know,”  Nic said.  “When I’m gone, my dad’s gonna need help around the shop.  I could put in a word for you.”<br/>“Thanks.  I’ll think about it.”<br/>“Well, let me know.”  Juice ran down his wrist.  <br/>“Yeah, for sure.”<br/>“I can’t imagine you’ll want to be landscaping for the rest of your life.”<br/>“Well I like it now, but you’re right.”<br/>Nic got up and dropped the pit in the waste basket.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading.  short chapter, i know.   i'm always very nervous, so if you have anything to say, please do.  i want to know what i can do better.  lots of love, and be safe and all that.  until next time x - Cleo</p></blockquote></div></div>
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